


Orchid Beginnings Still End

by Liyi



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Actor Mark, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Actors, Angst, Falling In Love, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Mental Health Issues, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:33:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26601460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liyi/pseuds/Liyi
Summary: Mark Lee didn't use to believe in fate, but after meeting a boy in a field of sunflowers, fate starts pulling tricks on the pair, bringing them through a roller-coaster of events that brings both happiness and pain.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a one-shot, but after I started writing it, I got so many ideas that it's now too long to be a one-shot hahaha.
> 
> I was gonna try to see whether I could finish it first before posting, but with the news of NCT 2020 and the reveal of the new members I've decided to post the first chapter and then finish the rest afterwards so this is gonna take a while.
> 
> Oh, and props to those who can figure out where the title comes from (so don't spoil anything else pls)

Mark was walking down a dirt path, unaware of his destination when he heard it.

Looking left and right, he determined that the scream was coming from the sunflower field to his left.

Mark squinted his eyes, trying to see whether he could spot the source of the noise just as someone suddenly popped into sight in the field, still screaming at the top of their lungs.

He merely watched quietly until the person stopped, turning their head and jumping at the sight of Mark before abruptly disappearing back into the field of sunflowers.

Oh, maybe he should have said something to make his presence known. 

“Hey! You okay?” He asked, attempting not to step on any flowers as he walked deeper into the field.

There’s no response at first, but a head steadily emerged, watching him until he stopped a few steps away.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” The boy replied, standing up while dusting himself off. “You just startled me that’s all.”

The boy seemed to be fine, if only a bit disheveled, and somehow it made Mark feel somewhat embarrassed at the situation.

“Sorry, I was just taking a walk, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I know. I just wasn’t expecting to see anyone here at this time of day. Everyone is usually busy working in the fields, and we don’t have many strangers come around here.”

Stranger. That word put Mark at ease as he realised that things could have easily gone haywire if he had been recognised.

The boy looked to be around a similar age as him, and he couldn’t help but imagine that he could have been one of his fans, screaming in his face excitedly and posting of their encounter all over the internet within an instant like what happened multiple times before.

It left a bad taste in his mouth and his heart skipped a beat.

“-Is anyone there?”

The boy snapped his fingers just in front of Mark’s face, pulling out of his thoughts.

“Yeah?”

The boy smiled, and it was more genuine than any expression he’s seen recently. “Since you’re new here, I can show you around.” He offered

Mark thought about it for a moment before nodding his head, trying not to overthink it. He doesn’t want to always be guarded.

“Okay, if we walk in that direction it’s a faster way to the town centre, plus it’s more scenic.” 

They followed his direction, walking through the sunflower field side by side.

“Oh yeah, by the way, my name is Lee Donghyuck. I should have introduced myself earlier.” Donghyuck apologised. 

“Lee Minhyung.” Mark answered shortly, unwilling to give away his full name just in case it was enough to trigger a reaction.

Donghyuck bend down for a moment, breaking off some of the sunflowers. Mark looked on curiously as his hands weaved the sunflowers together nimbly until he’s asked, “What are you doing here? Honestly there's really nothing much here to see so we don’t often have tourists.”

It was exactly because of that, that he chose this place to stay at. 

“I’m not the sort that enjoys sight-seeing, I just want to relax and unwind. Besides, this place seems plenty beautiful right now.” 

It was true. They were somewhere in the middle of the field, and the sunflowers stretched beyond what his eyes could see, creating a vision of bright yellow that lightened his heart.

“Hmn, I suppose you’re right. Here.”

Donghyuck went up on tip-toes, placing the flower crown he had made onto Mark's head. 

“There, now you’re beautiful as well.” He spoke, breaking into a wide smile with his eyes seeming to sparkle in the light. 

Mark quickly looked away, hoping the heat he could feel in his face wasn't actually showing. 

“How about me? Do I look pretty?” Donghyuck asked, putting his own flower crown on. 

Mark chanced a look at him, reaching out to adjust the crown to sit straight.

The way the sunlight hit Donghyuck's face highlighted his skin and the moles on his faces. There was a happy twinkle in his eyes that was enchanting. 

“The prettiest…” Slipped out without thinking and a part of him cringed internally in embarrassment. 

Donghyuck laughed at the compliment, grinning happily. 

_ Pull yourself together!  _ Mark reminded himself, quickly following. 

They walked on for a bit until Donghyuck pointed out the building he could see in the distance.

“That’s the town hall. Biggest building here besides the high school. The bell tower is actually accessible and the view from there is amazing! But first we should go to the market and get something to eat.”

Mark didn’t consider himself a big eater, especially after all the dieting he’s done that has basically curbed his appetite, but the food here was delicious enough that he found himself snacking throughout as Donghyuck introduced the various buildings to him.

Frankly, the tour itself wasn't that interesting, but getting to go up the bell tower made it worth it.

In the city, all the lights made it almost impossible to see the stars, but here, the stars shone like gems in the night sky.

It stirred up feelings buried deep in his heart, reaching back to a time, and a place, that he couldn't go back to. It was easier just not to think about it at all. 

“This is my favorite place in the whole town.” Donghyuck muttered quietly, sounding just in awe as he felt.

“I can see why.”

Mark glanced over, a question forming on the tip of his tongue that he couldn’t help but ask.

“I noticed there doesn’t seem to be a lot of young people around here.” He began, wondering why he felt so nervous. “Did they leave?”

“Yup. All left to chase their dreams in Seoul.”

“Then why did you stay?”

Donghyuck’s expression tensed just the slightest, and Mark began to regret being nosy.

“It’s complicated, I guess. But to put it simply, this is my home.” He explained, expression softening into something wistful. “Even if I tried, I can’t get away from here.”

_ That doesn’t sound right,  _ Mark thought to himself but didn't say anything.

“Anyway, it’s getting late. I should be heading home, and uh… I guess you should be heading back to your hotel? Do you know how to get back there by yourself?”

Mark didn’t, and after giving Donghyuck the name of his hotel, was accompanied back as they chatted quietly. 

“I should have asked earlier, how long are you staying anyway?” Donghyuck asked. 

“I’m actually leaving the day after tomorrow.”

Mark could see that the younger was thinking of something by the look on his face before he spoke. 

“Then… Do you want to come over tomorrow night for dinner? I live alone, and it gets kinda boring eating on my own.”

Somehow, out of everything Donghyuck had done for him today, that offer startled Mark the most. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to! I just-”

“Sure. I would like that.” He cut in, and the stunned look on Donghyuck's face almost made him laugh. 

“Okay, see you tomorrow then. I'll come around six to pick you up. ” 

Mark couldn't help but feel excited, wondering what Donghyuck's house was like. 

It happened up being… a little far from his expectations. 

The house only had two rooms, the living room and a bedroom. The bathroom was a little further back while the kitchen was completely exposed to the elements apart from a metal roof over it.

“You look surprised.” 

Mark turns to look at the younger, unable to fight off the blush of shame.

Donghyuck smiled, turning to tend to the ribs. “It’s fine, most people are. Not many live like this anymore.” 

“Do you... like living like this?” Mark asked, hoping his question didn’t come off as offensive.

He could never imagine living like Donghyuck did, but he supposed that was more because he had the luxury of being privileged all his life.

“Not really. I mean, who likes having to empty out their toilet every week? Or cook outside regardless of the weather? That’s why I’m working so hard to earn money to upgrade the house. Hand me that bowl please.” 

Mark looked around for a moment before grabbing the nearest bowl to hand over, watching as Donghyuck opened the lid to the stew cooking away.

“Smells delicious.” He commented, gulping as the fragrant smell hit his nostrils.

“It’s about done, and the ribs as well. If you’ll help me scoop the rice I’ll plate the side dishes.”

Mark did as told, feeling more excited than ever to try his food.

“It’s delicious!” He exclaimed, digging into the stew.

“Hmn, I think I should add some pepper to this.”

Donghyuck came back after a few moments with the pepper, helping Mark to add some to his as well.

“Do you live here alone?” He asked. 

“Yup.” The younger answered cheerfully, even as his answer opened up a realm of questions. 

“Is it lonely then?” 

Donghyuck shrugged. “Sometimes. But I prefer it this way.”

“Why?”

Mark immediately knew that he shouldn’t have asked that question by the way the atmosphere went frigid. Why did he have such a big mouth?

“Because I don’t like being around people.”

Mark kept quiet, sensing that there was more Donghyuck wanted to say.

“Don’t you think it’s exhausting being around people sometimes? Having to deal with the fickleness and selfishness of humans? It’s not worth it to me. I would rather be lonely by myself than lonely in a crowd.”

Mark couldn’t say that he didn’t understand. Because he did, because he knew what it felt like to be lonely in a crowd. 

“I’m sorry. I said too much didn’t I?” Donghyuck apologised, noticing how quiet he had become. 

“Huh? You didn’t, I was just thinking about what you said.” Mark admitted, trying to gather his thoughts. 

“You know, I used to think the way you did, but eventually I saw that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. I was… just another lonely boy in a crowd of lonely people, too focused on ourselves to see past the facade others put up. To me, it’s better to be lonely with someone who feels the same than by myself.”

The curious look on Donghyuck’s face told Mark that the younger wanted to know more, but he couldn’t bring himself to say another word. 

_ “What about it? I need someone to keep me sane.” _

Mark swallowed, shaking off the memory.

“... I can't say that I understand, but it’s interesting to see that someone can have such different thoughts from mine on the same topic.”

“Everyone has their own point of view, it just depends on whether we can understand it.” 

Donghyuck smiled. “Then maybe someday I can understand your point of view.” 

“Maybe.” Mark answered.

There was no more conversation afterwards, but the atmosphere wasn’t awkward at all. Rather, Mark felt comfortable.

The feeling, oddly enough, felt foreign. When was the last time he was so at peace? He couldn’t even remember.

More importantly, when was he ever going to feel like this again?

_ Hyung, I’m picking you up tomorrow from the bus station. Don’t be late. -Jaemin  _

Mark stared at the message for a while longer before forcing himself to look away. 

He didn't feel ready to go back to the city, back to his regular life. 

_ Don't be like this. You're not a child Mark Lee, there are people counting on you.  _ He reminded himself.

So it was with a heavy heart that the next day he stood at the bus stop, but at the very least, Donghyuck was there with him.

“You know you don’t have to be here. I can wait on my own.” Mark pointed out.

Donghyuck shrugged. “I don’t have much else to do today, plus I have to treat our guest well.”

He could tell that the younger was only teasing him, but a part of Mark couldn’t help but feel touched. 

“You really did treat me well. Thank you.” He stated, hoping his gratitude was clear.

A slow smile spread on Donghyuck’s face. “Oh god you didn’t have to be so serious about it. But really, I could tell you needed it. There was something about you that was extremely… tense, to put it. Like you were a hair’s breadth away from exploding.”

“You could tell that?” Mark was surprised to hear that. Nobody had ever said something like that to him.

“Yeah. You did say you came here to relax and unwind, and, well, the kind of people who come here,  _ really _ want to get away from the city. I was just trying to help you along.”

The way Donghyuck shrugged carelessly made it seem like it wasn't that big of a deal to him, but to Mark, those few words rendered him silent. 

“I don’t know if I was that helpful, but if you ever need it, you can always come to me and I’ll do my best.”

Without hesitation, Donghyuck reached out and quickly hooked his pinky around Mark’s own while the elder was still stunned. 

It was hard for him to understand what exactly he was feeling, but it was as if he was starting to see Donghyuck in a different light, and the thought had him looking away, feeling strangely shy.

Fortunately that was when the bus arrived, and he got on after bidding goodbye hurriedly with a pounding heart. 

Only a few minutes afterwards his phone pinged with a message. 

_ Have a safe trip back.  _

That simple message somehow made his heart race even further until Mark wondered what was going wrong with him. 

This was the first time someone had gotten such reactions out of him, especially a stranger at that. 

Lee Donghyuck wasn’t someone that he was meant to meet, but the fact that they did, made him wonder if there was fate between them. 

If it really did exist, then how long could it last? 

_ I hope we can meet again Lee Donghyuck.  _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fateful second meeting

"Mark!" 

He was startled by the call of his name, opening his eyes hurriedly in an effort to seem awake. 

"You're clearly exhausted, why did you come when you should be resting?" Taeyong asked, sounding concerned. 

Mark shook his head, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "It's haraboji's 80th birthday, how can I miss it?" 

He hadn't intended to nod off, but at least he did it in a corner of the banquet hall where there weren't many people. No, they were all busy and attempting to get into his grandfather’s good graces.

Taeyong sighed. "You do realise what he will try to do later right?" 

"Hmn, I know." 

"Haraboji has been chatting with their family for a while. He seems really interested this time." 

Mark had noticed as well earlier, but he had been far too exhausted to really care. 

"I'm not going to worry too much. It's just another blind date isn't it?" He figured, stretching his body out. 

"If you say so. And get something to eat as well, you look like you haven't eaten in days." 

Mark nodded his head, feeling his hunger suddenly hit him full force. 

He still tried not to be too fast though, knowing that Taeyong was still looking at him. 

His older cousin had always been concerned about his choice of career and Mark knew that if he actually showed how much of a toil it was taking on him, Taeyong would step in and that was something he decidedly didn't want to happen. 

Mark loved his family, but he would rather continue on as he was than be forced to carry on the family business. 

But even so, it wasn't like they were giving him much leeway.

"Minhyung, this is Mr Lee."

Mark smiled politely, bowing to the middle-aged man that his grandfather was introducing to him. 

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. Haraboji has talked about you before."

"Hmn, it's nice to meet you too. Your haraboji talks about you the most out of all his grandchildren." 

Mark struggled not to let the smile slip off his face, especially as Mr Lee moved onto his next topic. 

"You look a lot like your mother. We used to be high school classmates you know. She used to be so popular. Such a pity what happened to her in the end." 

The mention of his mother pulled at Mark's already frayed nerves but he held it in in an attempt to stay composed. 

"Let's not talk about her, it'll just make us all sad. Why don't you introduce your child to Minhyung?" 

And there it was, the purpose of why his grandfather wanted to introduce them to each other. 

"Ah, Donghyuck went to the bathroom just now. He'll be back quickly." 

Donghyuck? No way, they must just share the same name. Mark convinced himself. 

"There he is. Donghyuck-ah, come meet Lee Minhyung." Mr Lee gestured to someone behind him. 

"Yes, aboji." 

As soon as he heard that voice, Mark realised that he was wrong. 

To be fair, Donghyuck did look just as shocked as he was, but only for a moment before he managed to school his expression.

"It's nice to meet you Lee Minhyung-sshi." He greeted politely. 

"I feel the same Lee Donghyuck-sshi." 

"It would be nice if you two become friends. Donghyuck needs someone to show around Seoul since he's been overseas so long." Mr Lee said. 

Mark was a little confused but knew not to say anything, merely nodding his head as he asked, "Oh, may I ask where?" 

"I've been studying in London for the last eight years." Donghyuck looked uncomfortable like the answer was being forced out of him. 

"You know, I also spent a majority of my life overseas. I lived in Canada from when I was 5 to 15 years ago. It was hard coming back to Seoul." 

Donghyuck nodded his head in agreement. 

"It seems you two are getting along well. I have some business to discuss with your father Donghyuck, so we won't bother you two." 

As soon as they left though, the atmosphere dropped and Mark didn't quite know what to do about it. 

"Uh… do you want to grab some food from the buffet? I'm kinda hungry…" Donghyuck muttered. 

"Sure." He answered quickly. 

By the looks of it, Donghyuck was starving by the way he stared at the buffet, looking like he was about to drool at any moment. 

To Mark's surprise, the younger restrained himself, taking only little bits onto his plate. 

With how small the portions were, there was little chance he would be full. 

"Why are you taking so little since your hungry?" He asked, grabbing a plate. 

"It's impolite. I'll eat again afterwards."

Hearing that, Mark decided to take a second plate, immediately piling on food without care. 

"Hyung…" Donghyuck muttered, sounding unsure. 

"It isn't like the people here are going to finish it. Plus, my family paid for this so I think I can take as much as I want." Mark replied boldly and Donghyuck couldn't hold back a small smile.

"Do you want to leave? We can go somewhere else." He offered, not wanting to continue being in the uncomfortable environment. 

"But won't we get lost?" 

"I lived here for a bit, I know my way around." 

Donghyuck followed as Mark weaved his way through the crowd to the hallway, immediately taking a sharp left. 

"There’s a garden just outside. I doubt there would be anyone there." 

He was correct, the garden was free of people, allowing for a comfortable atmosphere as Donghyuck ate hungrily while they sat on a bench.

“Hyung, your not going to eat?” The younger asked after a while, swallowing his food.

“I already ate earlier so I’m not hungry.”

It was true, but Donghyuck didn’t seem pleased, brows furrowing for a moment before he abruptly cut the cake he was eating in two.

“Here. Eat it.” He demanded, putting the plate between them.

Mark took it, deciding to follow along as told. The cake was delicious as expected, going down his throat smoothly.

“This is my apology.”

“Huh?” His confusion was palpable, looking at the younger with wide eyes.

“For not telling you. I didn’t think we would meet again like this.”

Mark shook his head, displeased. “What do you have to apologise for? It’s not like I told you as well about my family.” He pointed out.

“True.” Donghyuck admitted. “You didn’t even tell me that you were famous when I asked to follow your insta account.”

Mark couldn’t help but laugh, remembering how Donghyuck had spammed their chat upon finding out with angry emojis.

" _5 million followers!_ I can't believe that you didn't tell me about it!" He huffed. 

Mark laughed. "Well you could have found out by searching me up online?" He pointed out. 

"Why would I even think that you were famous in the first place?" Donghyuck shot back. 

Mark brought a hand up to his chest in a dramatic display of pain, "It hurts that you think I wouldn't be famous." 

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, going silent with a pensive look on his face. 

"I really didn't think I would ever come back here…" He started, struggling to find the words to express his emotions. 

Mark stayed silent, hoping that Donghyuck would say more. 

"I'm sure you can tell by now that me and my father don't exactly have a… close relationship. I even thought that he would never want to see me again." Donghyuck’s eyes filled with tears as he said this. 

"I know he's just using me, but to be honest… It makes me kinda happy. I'm useful to him at the very least." 

The pit in Mark's stomach deepened as he tried to take in those words. 

"I can remember what I said to you when we first met, about how I didn't like being around people… I was lying. I was lying to you, I was lying to m-myself." The tears started to spill from Donghyuck’s eyes as all his bottled-up words flooded out. 

"It was a prison. It was a prison but I had to pretend to be happy there because there was nowhere else for me to go. So I forced myself to be happy there. To think of it as home. It wasn't though, it _never_ was." 

Mark didn't know what to say to that, feeling his heart break as Donghyuck cried into his hands. 

The only thing he could think to do was to gently stroke his hair as he let the younger cry out all his grievances. 

Once he seemed to have calmed, Mark quickly removed his hand, refusing to acknowledge the slight twinge he felt as he did. 

"Thank you hyung… Really, I appreciate you listening to me." Donghyuck said, wiping away the last of his tears. 

"Of course. If you have anything you want to talk about, you can come to me. I'm always willing to lend a ear." He answered stiffly. 

Donghyuck smiled softly, nodding his head. 

Mark had to look away, feeling his heart skip a beat. 

This was going to be a problem. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I updated this fic but I am planning to finish it! I'm just busy with school work and other stuff I'm writing so please understand~


End file.
